Machine for marking cylindrical articles

ABSTRACT

Machine for marking cylindrical articles, comprising a drum mounted for rotation and longitudinal reciprocation on a guide; a holder plate being mounted between a marking tool and the drum, also for longitudinal movement synchronous with that of the drum, and featuring a seat to accommodate the articles therein.

United States Patent Petrikovsky Dec. 25, 1973 [54] MACHINE FOR MARKING CYLINDRICAL 2,161,610 6/1939 Boggild 72/90 ARTICLES 2,359,997 10/1944 Lamoreaux 72/703 2,461,233 2/1949 Putnam et al 101/38 A [76] Inventor: Efim Lvovich Petrikovsky, Prospekt 'L ,45,k.34, i e 1:'ab i:;1 :U.S S R Primary Examiner-Richard J. Herbst Assistant Examiner-M. J. Keenan [22] Filed: Dec- 22, 1971 AttorneyEric H. Waters et al.

[21] Appl. No.2 210,665

[57] ABSTRACT 52 US. l. E Int hl 33 Machine for marking cylindrical articles, comprising a [58] Fie'ld 90 92 i 93 drum mounted for rotation and longitudinal reciproca- 212 '3 tion on a guide; a holder plate being mounted between a marking tool and the drum, also for longitudinal [56] References Cited movement synchronous with that of the drum, and

- featuring a seat to accomodate the articles therein. UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,678,148 7/1928 Kotchi et a]. 72 93 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 MACHINE FOR MARKING CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES The present invention relates to machines for marking cylindrical articles by knurling.

There are known machines designed for marking cylindrical articles by knurling on a drum serving as the support for the article being marked. The drum is secured in roller bearings with a possibility of free rotation. The article to be marked is laid on the drum be tween stop plates.

Marking the articles is effected with the aid of a marking tool made fast in a slide block and reciprocated by means of a drive (cf., machines for marking cylindrical articles manufactured by the British company Edward Pryor).

Said known machines are disadvantageous in that they have no automatic device for feeding the articles onto the drum, as well as no mechanisms adapted for the removal of the articles from the drum after marking. This process is carried out manually, which results in a low efficiency of the machine.

Another disadvantage of said known machines consists in that the drum having certain resistance is not always uniformly rotated-from the article resting against the drum and rotated from the marking tool, which results in a lower quality of the imprint.

There also known planetary-type machines for marking cylindrical articles (cf., machines for marking cylindrical articles manufactured by the British company Funditor, Ltd.).

The latter known machines are provided with a feeding device. The drum is set to rotation and brings the articles under a set of arcwise arranged concave stamps.

Such machines are disadvantageous because of the presence of the concave stamps,.which adds to the complexity of manufacturing and adjusting the machines and causes poor fixation of the articles in the course of their advance on the drum.

There is likewise known a machine for marking cylindrical articles, comprising a rotatable drum whose cylindrical surface accommodates a plate carrying relief marking characters. Behind the plate provision is made of a slot adapted for dumping a fixed article. The machine is provided with a feeding device having a piecemeal delivery mechanism. Arranged above the drum is a special article holder displaceable in the vertical direction by means of acam set on the drum axle and of a leverage (cf., U.S. Pat. No. 2,461,233, cl.ll38).

The disadvantage of the last-mentioned machine consists in the presence of stamps provided on the cylindrical surface of the drum, which complicates the adjustment of the stamps and impairs the quality of marking.

Also, there is known a machine for marking cylindrical articles on a roller fulcrum, comprising a feeding device, a stationary-mounted set of stamps and a carriage with a pivoted link in the form of four bearing rollers (cf., U.S.S.R. lnventors Certificate No. 123,537, class h, 6).

The articles are fed one at a time from the feeding device into the carriage rollers, are rolled under the set of stamps and, at the end of the stroke, dumped owing to the inclination of the forward link of the carriage.

The impossibility of marking articles of small diameter is among the disadvantages of the latter machine.

Besides, when marking articles made to certain tolerances, non-uniform imprints are produced. This is due to the fact that the article is to be accommodated in a roller fulcrum.

Insufficient rigidity of the machine supporting arrangement, which results in a lower quality of marking, is likewise an essential disadvantage of the lastdescribed known machine.

It is an object of the invention to develop a machine for marking cylindrical articles, providing for an automatic supply and discharge of the articles to be marked.

It is still another object of the present invention to increase the stability of the imprint depth, reduce the required power of the drive and increase the rigidity of the supporting arrangement of the machine.

Theobjects set are attained in that in the inventive machine for marking cylindrical articles, comprising a drum serving as a support for the articles to be marked, a stationary marking tool is arranged above the drum, and a feeding device, the drum is mounted for longitudinal reciprocation on a guide, whereas between the marking tool and the drum there is placed a holder plate, likewise mounted for of longitudinal movement synchronous with the. longitudinal movement of the drum, the holder being provided with a seat successively to accommodate the articles to be marked therein, whereby an article supported on the drum and accommodated in the seat is urged underneath the marking tool during the reciprocation of the drum and the seat. v

The machine of to the present invention in accordance with an exemplary embodiment thereof has the drum and the holder plate mounted on a carriage reciprocable by means of a crank drive.

According to a modification of the machine, the holder plate consists of separate parts, defining the seat therebetween, one of the parts being immoveable with respect to the carriage, while the other is pivoted to the immoveable part. On a'machine bedplate, ahead of behind the marking tool in the direction of the working stroke of the carriage, cam feelers are arranged whose working surfaces are fashioned with a slope inclined towards the marking tool so that the moveable or pivoted part of the holder is raised while moving upon said surfaces to facilitate dumping of the marked articles.

Among the advantages of the disclosed machine is the provision of a single supporting drum rotatable and displaceable synchronously with the article movement in the course of knurling the latter under the marking tool, which makes for an increased quality of marking. The vertical component of the marking load is taken up by the drum and transmitted onto the bedplate guide, thereby increasing the rigidity of the machine.

Another advantage of the machine disclosed herein is the provision of the eariler mentioned carriage with the plate featuring in the front portion thereof the seat arranged beneath the drum. While reciprocating under the feeding device, the seat provided in the carriage plate receives one article at a time, brings the same under the marking tool and effects the dumping of the marked article. Thanks to this, the disclosed machine is rather simple of design and requires only one working stroke of the carriage at a high degree of automation and efficiency.

Presented hereinbelow is a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the machine for marking cylindrical articles, according to the present invention, with due reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the general view of the machine according to the present invention;

, FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 11-" of FIG. 1 (plan view);

FIG. 3 illustrates the carriage at the moment of dumping a marked article; and

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the carriage.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the machine of the invention comprises: a carriage 1 supported by a bedplate la and carrying in its front portion a drum 2 secured on an axle 3; supporting rollers 4; a plane plate 5 and a U-shaped rectangular frame 6 secured on a pivot 7 in the rear portion of the carriage 1. The frame 6 and the plate 5 define a seat 8 designed successively to accommodate one of the articles 8a, the seat being arranged above the drum 2. Mounted in the front portion of the carriage is an article tripper 9 made as an inclined plate enveloping the drum.

A holder with a markingtool 10 is immoveably secured in the upper portion of the machine, with a possiblity of adjusting the marking tool, dpeneding upon the dimensions of the article to be marked and the desired location of the marking. The articles are charged via a feeding device 11 made as an inclined tray having a part at the front end.

' The carriage is moveablein a guide 12, mounted on the bedplate of the machine, by means of a drive (not shown in the drawings). The carriage is set to reciprocating motion by a crank mechanism. A connecting rod 13 has a head in the form of a yoke serving to connect the rod by means of the axle 3 with the drum 2. The other head of the connecting rod 13 is coupled with the aid of a pin 14 to a crank 15.

Made fast in the front portion of the frame 6 are rollers 17 which, during the carriage movement, move upon cam feelers l6 stationarily mounted on the bedplate of the machine. I

The drum 2 (cf., FIG. 4) can be provided with a longitudinally extending slot Zaadapted for dumping the marked articles. ln this case, the upper plate 5 of the carriage features no hinged frame and has a through seat 8 adapted to accommodate the article 8a therein.

The machine according to the present invention operates in the foolowing manner.

The articles 8a to be marked are laid in the feeding device 1 1. With a crank constantly rotating, the carriage performs a reciprocating movement. In the extreme right-hand position, the seat 8 of the plate 5 coincides with the port of the feeding device 11,. and one article 8a rolls into the seat until thrust against the drum. In the course of the drum movement by means of the crank mechanism, the article 8a is brought under the marking tool 10 and rolls on the drum.

The drum 2 rolling on the guide 12 rotates and carries along the article 8a placed in the seat 8.

Upon approaching the marking tool 10, the marking characters are knurled on the article 8a. While so doing, the article 8a rolls without any slip with respect to r the tool 10 and the drum 2.

After marking, the rollers 17 arranged on frame 6 move upon and along the stationary cam feelers 16. The frame 6 pivots, and the marked article 8a rolls out of the seat 8, defined by the parts 5 and 6, and is dumped along the tripper 9. During the return stroke of the carriage the frame is set to the initial position, and the plate Sin the extreme right-hand position gives way from the subsequent article which rolls onto the drum 2, and the working cycle is repeated.

According to another embodiment (cf., FIG. 4), the marked article is dumped by way of the slot 2a in the drum 2 when said slot coincides with the seat 8 in the plate 5. Upon further advance of the carriage, namely toward the left, as viewed in the drawing, the drum 2 is turned counterclockwise, the slot inclines and the article 8a rolls out along the tripper 9.

We claim:

1. A machine for marking cylindrical articles, comprising: a bedplate; a longitudinally extending guide mounted on said bedplate; a drum serving as a support for articles being successively marked, and mounted for rotation and reciprocation over said guide; a stationary marking tool mounted above said drum; a holder mounted between said drum and said tool for longitudinal movement synchronous with the reciprocation of said drum, said holder defining therein a seat for successively accommodating therein the articles; and a feeding device for supplying the articles onto said holder.

2. The machine as-defmed in claim 1, further comprising a carriage reciprocable by means of a crank mechanism, said drum and said holder with said seat being mounted on said carriage, the latter performing a working stroke.

3. The machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said holder includes separate parts defining said seat therebetween, one of said parts being immovable with respect to said carriage and another part being pivoted to said immovable part, further comprisingstationary cam feelers arranged on said bedplate, ahead of said tool in the direction of the working stroke of said carriage, said feelers having working surfaces made with a slope inclined downwardly toward said tool, so that said pivoted part of the holder is raised, while moving upon said working surfaces, to facilitate dumping of the marked articles. 

1. A machine for marking cylindrical articles, comprising: a bedplate; a longitudinally extending guide mounted on said bedplate; a drum serving as a support for articles being successively marked, and mounted for rotation and reciprocation over said guide; a stationary marking tool mounted above said drum; a holder mounted between said drum and said tool for longitudinal movement synchronous with the reciprocation of said drum, said holder defining therein a seat for successively accommodating therein the articles; and a Feeding device for supplying the articles onto said holder.
 2. The machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising a carriage reciprocable by means of a crank mechanism, said drum and said holder with said seat being mounted on said carriage, the latter performing a working stroke.
 3. The machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said holder includes separate parts defining said seat therebetween, one of said parts being immovable with respect to said carriage and another part being pivoted to said immovable part, further comprising stationary cam feelers arranged on said bedplate, ahead of said tool in the direction of the working stroke of said carriage, said feelers having working surfaces made with a slope inclined downwardly toward said tool, so that said pivoted part of the holder is raised, while moving upon said working surfaces, to facilitate dumping of the marked articles. 